The invention relates to an actuator mechanism generally useful for controlling a flue in a gas-fired water heater.
In conventional gas-fired water heaters, flue dampers are typically opened when the burner turns on and closed when the burner turns-off. Flue dampers have been controlled by weight on the damper that tends to shut the damper when there is no flow of heated exhaust, electric motors (which tend to take up to 15 seconds to close a damper), and solenoids. Ideally the damper should be rapidly closed immediately following the extinguishing of a burner flame to achieve optimal energy efficiency.
Conventional gas-fired water heaters are often positioned in remote locations with no readily available power source or in locations where it is expensive to bring electric power to the water heater, unless done so by batteries which need to be periodically replaced.